About Us

About Us

Ancora was founded in 1994 when Sue and George Krug began roasting their own beans just down the block from the state capitol building, and over 20 years later we are still grinding to serve you the perfect cup of local coffee. Mentored in Seattle, the Krugs brought their passions for coffee and community to Madison, endeavoring for years to craft not only delicious specialty blends, but also foster neighborhood spaces that genuinely reflected the comfort, creativity, and inimitable landscape of Wisconsin’s capital city. After years of dedication to the Madison’s coffee scene, Sue and George retired in 2013.

In May of 2013, Tori Gerding who worked for the Krug’s right out of college took over and expanded upon the roots they established. Expanding the food options, adding a liquor license for boozy coffee offerings, and hosting occasional live music events were some of Tori’s first changes made to the King St. location. In July of 2017, she opened her new location on University Ave. Aside from it’s delicious coffee offerings, this new location includes a full kitchen serving brunch 7 days a week. Tori is committed to creating a communal atmosphere everyone feels welcome in while serving up some of the best food and drink around. We pride ourselves in supplying a unique variety of specialty fair trade organic coffees and a brunch menu featuring comfort foods with a twist. We consider our customers part of our Ancora family – let us caffeinate your day, we’d love to play a part of it.

Our coffee

When you purchase coffee beans at Ancora, you’re not just buying from us. We are an active part of a worldwide network of long term, like minded partners, like the Zapatista coffee growers in Chiapas, MX that have been cultivating their heritage crops for generations. We don’t just work with them because they have the best coffee beans—we work with them because they’re great people who share our values and ideas for how business should be done.

SUSTAINABILITY

Ancora is committed to a progressive business model that supports every part of the operation that brings you your coffee. That means hiring employees that share our passion, buying consciously from companies we believe in, and working with like-minded, free trade growers and cooperatives who understand that our business decisions matter, and that transparency is the key to trust. We strive to cultivate strong, dedicated relationships with our suppliers and consumers alike, and we recognize the responsibilities we face within our neighborhood. We’re not just a part of your coffee, but a part of the vibrant local Madison community that is so important to us.